Arctostaphylos purissima

La purisima manzanita, La Purisima Manzanita, La Purisima manzanita, La Purisima manzanita

Family: Ericaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

La purisima manzanita is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native shrub found in southern Central Coast and western Transverse Ranges in Santa Barbara County, growing on sandstone outcrops and sandy soils in chaparral at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from January to March, this plant produces pale pink to white flowers in compact clusters with pendulous nascent inflorescences. Growing erect and 1 to 4 meters tall, it has densely hairy twigs and a distinctive branching structure. Its leaves are bright green, strongly overlapped, round-ovate, 1 to 2.5 centimeters long with lobed bases that clasp the stem, and featuring a characteristically abrupt soft point at the tip. The fruit is a smooth, depressed-spheric berry 5 to 8 millimeters wide, typical of manzanita species.

Habitat: Sandstone outcrops, sandy soils, chaparral

Bloom period: Jan-Mar

Elevation: < 300 m.

Bioregions: s CCo, s SCoRO/WTR (w Santa Barbara Co.).

California counties: Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.